Disputes involving professional and international association football (soccer), including clubs, leagues, players, managers and the bodies that regulate them.
Published coverage on this page: 1 case · 5 statements. Statements are ordered newest first.
An independent commission found Manchester City arranged "sham" sponsorship contracts to disguise owner funding between 2009/10 and 2017/18. City denies it, says the decision is unsafe and will appeal. As of October 1, 2026, no sanction has been set.
Published
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5 matching statements
Role at the time: Former Manchester United player and Sky Sports pundit, speaking on The Overlap's Stick to Football podcast
Response to this claim
The Premier League said on September 29, 2026 that an independent commission found that between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons Manchester City arranged "sham" contracts with a number of its commercial partners as part of a disguised funding scheme, in which the sponsors were required to pay only a portion of the relevant fees and Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd, which owned the club, funded the remainder, and that "by its conduct the club clearly intended to circumvent the PL Rules."
Quotation excerpt
“The biggest consequence would be the removal of the owners. That is the only consequence, if I was Manchester City, that I would be worried about. And as a fan of Manchester City, if you wanted to keep the investment that you've currently…”
“The biggest consequence would be the removal of the owners. That is the only consequence, if I was Manchester City, that I would be worried about. And as a fan of Manchester City, if you wanted to keep the investment that you've currently got, that would be the one that I would be most concerned. However, if you're in football and you're thinking about a consequence, what can be more serious than industrial-level financial doping that we've seen and they've been found guilty of?”
Relative to the proposition that City used sponsorship contracts the commission described as shams, and related arrangements, to misstate its finances and circumvent the Premier League's financial rules, as the commission found, Neville treats the finding as established ("they've been found guilty of") and describes it in his own words as "industrial-level financial doping." He argues about the consequence for City and for football, not about the procedure. That endorses the finding, so we used Condemned. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, because much of the passage concerns what sanction would matter most, but he attaches no condition to the finding.
Role at the time: Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool player, in a Sky Sports interview
Response to this claim
The Premier League said on September 29, 2026 that an independent commission found that between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons Manchester City arranged "sham" contracts with a number of its commercial partners as part of a disguised funding scheme, in which the sponsors were required to pay only a portion of the relevant fees and Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd, which owned the club, funded the remainder, and that "by its conduct the club clearly intended to circumvent the PL Rules."
Quotation excerpt
“But I'm shocked, but also not surprised with what's going on right now. And the reason I'm not surprised that Manchester City have had a guilty, because I always felt they were guilty, just for two simple reasons, really. Just the fact that…”
“But I'm shocked, but also not surprised with what's going on right now. And the reason I'm not surprised that Manchester City have had a guilty, because I always felt they were guilty, just for two simple reasons, really. Just the fact that it would be impossible for Manchester City to ever have the commercial revenue of Liverpool, Manchester United or Real Madrid. They said that for years, they had that type of income coming in. It's impossible for that to ever happen, no matter how successful Manchester City are. And number two, the fact that they said, as they have said, I think yesterday, and they've continually said over this period of the last few years, that they've done nothing wrong, you know, they've got irrefutable evidence. I mean, any, you know, man and his dog in this country or football fan knows if you were charged by the police and you had irrefutable evidence, it would be over within a day or a week. This has dragged on for years, so this idea that there's nothing gone on and it's dragged on this long just tells you that there was always something there.”
Relative to the proposition that City used sponsorship contracts the commission described as shams, and related arrangements, to misstate its finances and circumvent the Premier League's financial rules, as the commission found, Carragher says he always felt City were guilty and gives reasons drawn from the club's revenue and the length of the case. That endorses the finding, so we used Condemned. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, because he reasons from the club's conduct rather than from the decision's text, but he states his conclusion without conditions.
Role at the time: Former Manchester City chairman (1998 to 2003) and former Football Association chairman, in a BBC interview reported by AFP
Response to this claim
The Premier League said on September 29, 2026 that an independent commission found that between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons Manchester City arranged "sham" contracts with a number of its commercial partners as part of a disguised funding scheme, in which the sponsors were required to pay only a portion of the relevant fees and Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd, which owned the club, funded the remainder, and that "by its conduct the club clearly intended to circumvent the PL Rules."
“It is damning beyond belief. My immediate thoughts are, should the board continue? Should the people involved be suspended immediately?”
Relative to the proposition that City used sponsorship contracts the commission described as shams, and related arrangements, to misstate its finances and circumvent the Premier League's financial rules, as the commission found, Bernstein calls the findings damning beyond belief and asks whether those involved should be suspended, which endorses the finding. We used Condemned. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, because AFP reports his view on expulsion as depending on the appeal failing, but his reaction to the finding itself carries no condition.
Role at the time: Chief executive of the Premier League, in the league's published statement
Response to this claim
The Premier League said on September 29, 2026 that an independent commission found that between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons Manchester City arranged "sham" contracts with a number of its commercial partners as part of a disguised funding scheme, in which the sponsors were required to pay only a portion of the relevant fees and Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd, which owned the club, funded the remainder, and that "by its conduct the club clearly intended to circumvent the PL Rules."
Quotation excerpt
“The core decision establishes the facts of what happened at Manchester City during this period. It details how the club systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade. It also vindicates the Premier League’s decision to…”
“The core decision establishes the facts of what happened at Manchester City during this period. It details how the club systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade. It also vindicates the Premier League’s decision to pursue this case against Manchester City.”
Relative to the proposition that City used sponsorship contracts the commission described as shams, and related arrangements, to misstate its finances and circumvent the Premier League's financial rules, as the commission found, Masters presents the decision as establishing the facts and says it vindicates the league's decision to bring the case. That asserts and endorses the finding, so we used Condemned. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, because the statement says elements of the case remain to be decided, but those elements are the sanction and the appeal, not the finding.
Role at the time: Former Manchester United and England captain and former club manager, speaking on the Stick to United podcast
Response to this claim
The Premier League said on September 29, 2026 that an independent commission found that between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons Manchester City arranged "sham" contracts with a number of its commercial partners as part of a disguised funding scheme, in which the sponsors were required to pay only a portion of the relevant fees and Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd, which owned the club, funded the remainder, and that "by its conduct the club clearly intended to circumvent the PL Rules."
Quotation excerpt
“And again going back to they've cheated, take them off them. That's fine, I've no problem with that. But to turn around and say, right, there's a medal, I just wouldn't feel comfortable taking it. I'd be comfortable with them getting it…”
“And again going back to they've cheated, take them off them. That's fine, I've no problem with that. But to turn around and say, right, there's a medal, I just wouldn't feel comfortable taking it. I'd be comfortable with them getting it took off them, but I wouldn't be comfortable accepting a medal for finishing second.”
Relative to the proposition that City used sponsorship contracts the commission described as shams, and related arrangements, to misstate its finances and circumvent the Premier League's financial rules, as the commission found, Rooney accepts the reported outcome as the premise ("they've cheated") and says he has no problem with the titles being taken off City. That endorses the finding, so we used Condemned. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, because his main point is about whether he would accept a retrospective medal, but he states no condition on the finding.
Gary Neville is an English football pundit, businessman and former professional footballer who spent his whole playing career at Manchester United, where he was captain for five years. He won eight Premier League titles and two UEFA Champions League titles and was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2025. He has worked as a pundit for Sky Sports, and he founded the sports media company The Overlap, whose programmes include the Stick to Football podcast.
1 case and 1 statement
David Kogan OBE is a British media executive and the chair of the Independent Football Regulator. The regulator's website says he has had a 45-year career in television and sport, negotiating television rights deals for sporting bodies including the Premier League and the English Football League, and that he is a former managing director of Reuters Television and former chief executive of the Magnum photo agency. He was appointed chair for a five-year term, announced on October 6, 2025.
1 case and 1 statement
Andy Burnham is a British politician who became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party in July 2026. GOV.UK says he became Prime Minister on July 20, 2026, after being elected Labour leader on July 16, 2026, and that he returned to Parliament as Member of Parliament for Makerfield in June 2026. He was Member of Parliament for Leigh from 2001, served in government from 2007 to 2010, and was elected Mayor of Greater Manchester in May 2017 and re-elected in 2021 and 2024.
1 case and 1 statement
Jurgen Klopp is a German football manager and former player who managed Mainz 05, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool. He left Liverpool in May 2024 and was Red Bull's Head of Global Soccer from January 2025. The German football federation (DFB) announced on July 24, 2026 that he would become head coach of the Germany men's national team from August 15, 2026, on a four-year contract through the 2030 World Cup.
1 case and 1 statement
Jamie Carragher is an English football analyst and former professional footballer who spent his whole career at Liverpool, making 737 appearances and serving as vice-captain for ten years. He won the UEFA Champions League with Liverpool and earned 38 senior England caps. Since retiring in 2013 he has worked as a pundit for Sky Sports, as part of CBS Sports' Champions League coverage and as football columnist for The Telegraph.
1 case and 1 statement
Lisa Nandy is a British Labour politician who has been Member of Parliament for Wigan since May 2010. She has been Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport since July 20, 2026, according to GOV.UK, which says she held the earlier title of Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from July 5, 2024 to July 20, 2026. Before entering Parliament she worked at the homelessness charity Centrepoint and then at The Children's Society. She studied politics at Newcastle University and is the author of All In: How We Build a Country That Works.
1 case and 1 statement
Ferran Soriano is a Spanish businessman who is chief executive officer of City Football Group, according to the group's website, and is also described as Manchester City's chief executive in BBC Sport reporting. Before joining Manchester City in 2012 he was vice-president for the economy and general manager of FC Barcelona from 2003 to 2008, after earlier roles in consumer goods, telecommunications and management consulting.
1 case and 1 statement
David Bernstein is a British businessman and chartered accountant. He was chairman of Manchester City Football Club from 1998 to 2003 and chairman of the Football Association from 2011 to 2013.
1 case and 1 statement
Richard Masters is a British football executive who has been chief executive of the Premier League since December 2019. He joined the league in 2006 as director of sales and marketing, after earlier commercial roles at the English Football League and the England and Wales Cricket Board, and was interim chief executive before his permanent appointment.
1 case and 1 statement
Wayne Rooney is an English former professional footballer and manager. He is Manchester United's all-time leading goalscorer with 253 goals, also played for Everton, D.C. United and Derby County, and retired as a player in January 2021. He has since worked as a manager and broadcaster, and his official website says he launched his own YouTube channel and The Wayne Rooney Show podcast in August 2025.
1 case and 1 statement
Joe Hart is an English former professional goalkeeper who now works as a football pundit. He began at his hometown club Shrewsbury Town, joined Manchester City in 2006 and won two Premier League titles there, won 75 England caps, and finished his career at Celtic, retiring at the end of the 2023-24 season. He works as a pundit for BBC Sport, including Match of the Day and BBC Radio 5 Live.
1 case and 1 statement
Khaldoon Al Mubarak is an Emirati business leader and government official from Abu Dhabi. Mubadala Investment Company's website names him as its Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer, and City Football Group's website names him founding chairman of the group and chairman of Manchester City since 2008. According to the group's website he also chairs the boards of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Emirates Global Aluminium and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, and chairs the Executive Affairs Authority.
1 case and 1 statement
